Deal is done on the 44 gibson.  It is time for me to figure out how to drive it.  Any suggestions?  It has twin Volvo I/Os .  Do I use the wheel when docking or do I need to use a combination of Fwd and Reverse?  I have heard different schools of thought for twin sterndrives.  Also, any other tips for learning?

Scott
Miller Time

Congratulations on your new boat.

Best thing you could do is get some lessons, from a friend or hired instructor and then practice, practice, practice. Make sure whoever is teaching you is competent, too many yahoos out there giving bad advice.

You can use the transmissions to drive it or the wheel, whichever you're most comfortable with but I would recommend one or the other and not both together--both can get confusing. Always go slow and use the wind, trying to fight it is a losing battle. Don't get caught downwind with no maneuver room. That boat will always handle easiest with the stern to the wind.

Good luck.

Edited: 06/08/2007 at 05:20:30 PM by Dave

REALLY happy for you!. At first, practice during the week days if possible. Fewer people & distractions. Take baby steps & tiny steps. Anyone worthy of consideration: watching you will know the feeling & understand. Those folks will be rooting for you. Ignore the snicker guys.
Faint heart never mastered fair boat. My family wishes you all the best.

I purchased my Gibson from a man whom had lost both arms. He has mechanical hooks. You should have seen him operate the boat at sea trial time. The mechanic at Aqua Marine taught him, and many others to operate their vessels, in his spare time and on weekends. You may wish to find someone like this mechanic to teach you. A few paid lessons are better than fiberglass repairs.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Trial and error and lots of patience. Remember, REVERSE is your friend and that if you hit something, don't hit it hard!

With the twin I/O, your best bet is to put the wheel straight, and know how to find that position quickly. The gear shifts can then become an extension of you if that makes any sense. Your left moves forward or reverse, and so does the boat, etc. Similar to a bulldozer or zero-turn mower. If you ever do use that wheel when docking, give up the twin theory and use one engine and wheel. Respect the boat, but dont be intimidated by it either! Thats why you have insurance.

Edited: 06/09/2007 at 10:18:51 AM by houseboat8972

When I was a kid I wanted to learn how to dock my grandfathers Whitcraft. He took me out on to the river and tied a line and a small anchor to two boat cushions and threw them over the side about the distance apart as the width of the slip. He stood behind me and took me by my shoulders and steered me, by twisting my shoulders forward and backward to maneuver me where he wanted. He told me to imagine someones shoulders are your shifters and it made instant sence (at least as a kid). An hour twisting through those cushions and I learned without banging the dock, just don't tangle a line in a prop. I've taught two people this way since and they leave the dock a rookie and come back comfortable enough to put there boats in the slip.

-------------------------
1975 42' Gibson Standard
Lake Cumberland, Kentucky

All above is good advice... bear in mind that if you HAVE to hit something, a piling is a lot better than a boat. I bounce off pilings every day, IMO that's what they're there for.

practice, practice, practice.... and MORE practice.

-------------------------
Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

Edited: 06/10/2007 at 01:25:34 PM by stmbtwle

Thanks for all of the great tips.  I will probably try sometime this week later in the afternoon after work one day or early one weekend morning.  I was thinking of finding a cove with a buoy in it and practicing around it for a while before returning to the dock.  The reference to the zero turn lawn mower hits close to home.  I have much experience with one of those.  We will see how it goes.

Good information. One other thing I always  consider is wind. I learned real quick that a little puff of wind can really mess up your approach. Always play the wind and be ready if it blows you off course.

-------------------------
Riverliver

Just make sure that you don't run the buoy over as they tend to get hung up on all sorts of things and it can be really embarrassing.

I also recommend picking a time when the wind is very low.  Where I boat that would be the morning as the wind always picks up in the afternoon.

Rod

you can never be going to slow when docking and always accept help if offered. to many people think docking is a contest to show off your skills and see how fast they can do it....and at some point they end up inflicting damage on there boat..or someones elses boat.
good luck


-------------------------
UC FANS
1999, 52' Monticello - Miller Tyme
Port of Aurora IN

Edited: 06/12/2007 at 07:41:02 PM by MILLERTYME

IMO you CAN go too slow... the slower you go the more effect the wind will have on the boat. But going too FAST can be even worse.

The trick is finding the RIGHT speed. And that takes practice, practice, practice, and more practice.

-------------------------
Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

My best advice....Only approach the dock as fast as you are willing to hit.

Free boat operation lessons are availble in Pensacola, on my vessel.

37 foot Gibson, twin 350 Crusaders, upper and lower helm controls.

PM me for reservations.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Thanks to all for the input.  I moved the boat without issue.  actually made it in the slip both times without having to reattempt....

 Now time to practice

Sounds like you are doing fine. Much of what you have read is dead on. Go slow but remember sometimes if you just have to dock and the wind is howling then you may have to come in hot to keep your line of travel. It is better to just stay out in open water if you can until it settles down. Wind will generally always die down just at sunset which can provide an opportunity to get in. Reverse is your friend. Wind head on or directly astern is manageable but on the beam can be tough. Remember that you can control this thing but you are never the complete master of it. I have seen great pilots lose it in a sudden gust. Give yourself room though many marinas give damn little. You can usually go past your slip and spin around to get better wind position if it is pushing you too hard. You can hold a boat heading into the wind in position as long as you have fuel. Learn to pivot off a piling or dock. That is the great thing about houseboats that not all cruisers can do. If I can get one corner of my nose into a slip and against the side I can get that whole boat in eventually. It may not be pretty but if I back out into the wind to reapproach I can be blown down a row of boats in seconds so once the nose is in I do not back up unless it is a calm day. Learn to blip those throttles because that is where the finesse comes in. On a calm day you can go in at idle speed using only the forward and reverse levers but in the wind you have to compensate and intermittent power is the only way. And finally try never to panic and forget which is throttle and which is transmission. That was a $1200 lesson for me. If I had kept my wits and done nothing I would have just been blown sideways into a pontoon boat but instead I jammed what I thought were transmission levers forward and they were throttles. You should have seen me run up in those rocks at speed. Everyone else at the marina did.

-------------------------
The Judge Rules

On high wind days, I have started taking down the bimini top on the upper helm, it makes a big differance.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Judge said: "If I can get one corner of my nose into a slip and against the side I can get that whole boat in eventually. It may not be pretty but if I back out into the wind to reapproach I can be blown down a row of boats in seconds so once the nose is in I do not back up unless it is a calm day. Learn to blip those throttles because that is where the finesse comes in."

In total agreement.

Another option in side wind, line up for nextdoor neighobor's slip, get bow CLOSE (as in a couple feet) when wind moves you sideways apply throtle and slip the bow in the correct slip.

Bob

-------------------------
I carry a gun because it's too tiring carrying a cop.

I do the same thing. Other times I'll put the square bow on a piling and push; then I can turn the boat to where I want it.

Pilings are your friends...

-------------------------
Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

If you can also open windows on a windy day, that will help as well.

-------------------------
Steve